by Sophia Renny
Julia’s heart was pounding hard, her emotions in turmoil for the umpteenth time that day as she observed the myriad expressions flitting across Tony’s face while he made his startling and frank confession. “I never knew…”
“I’m glad you didn’t. After Uncle Nick tore into me that day, and I watched you cry, I started pushing those feelings down. I focused on making you smile. Making you happy. You told me once that marrying my brother would make you the happiest girl in the world. So that’s what I wanted for you, too.”
She swallowed down the rising lump in her throat. “I did say that, didn’t I.”
She looked away from him and gazed, unseeing, into the water. He was quiet for a while, too. Then he cleared his throat. “So, what would make you the happiest girl in the world now?”
She pointed her toes and swooshed them in the water. “I don’t think anyone could possibly be happy all the time,” she said eventually. “It was kind of foolish of me to base all my happiness on being with Joe. I never really thought much beyond our wedding day, you know? That’s where the fairytales always ended, with the prince carrying his new bride into the sunset.” She lifted her face to the sun again, tamping down all emotions and sensations other than the feel of warm heat on her skin. She smiled. “Real happiness comes in seconds and minutes—tiny moments like this that you can store away in your memory and open up when you’re feeling blue, you know what I mean?”
“Yeah.” His voice was rough. “I know what you mean.”
She took a deep breath and opened her eyes. She swiveled her gaze towards him. “Some of my happiest memories from back then have you in them.”
His toffee eyes gleamed. “Oh, yeah? Like what?”
She waved her arm to indicate their surroundings. “This, of course. And the day you tried to teach me how to surf. And that time you and I and Sylvie went quahogging on the Cape.” She hesitated. “Joe wasn’t able to join us for most of those outings. I wonder if things would’ve turned out differently if I’d had these kinds of moments with him.”
Something hard flashed in his eyes. Whatever he might have said then was disrupted by a tugging on one of the lines. “Here we go,” was all he said as he pulled the line in.
They caught six more crabs before he called it a decent haul and tossed the leftover chicken meat into the water. They packed up and trekked back to the truck. He put the ice chest in the truck bed and gave the water a stir. “These should be fine until we get home.”
They didn’t converse much during the drive back to Providence. He turned up the volume on the radio. She closed her eyes, feeling pleasantly tired after a day in the sun.
The warm sensation of his fingers brushing across her cheek stirred her awake a while later. “We’re here,” he said, his eyes gleaming in the dusky interior of the truck cab. “You up to sharing dinner with me?”
She rubbed her eyes. “Sure. Do you mind if I take a shower?”
He grinned. “You just don’t want to help me clean the crab.”
She wrinkled her nose with distaste. “Not especially.”
“Wimp. What happened to the ‘you catch ’em, you clean ’em’ rule?”
“Do you want salad with your crab? And a yummy dessert after?”
“That’s bribery and you know it.”
She fluttered her eyelashes at him.
His laughter followed her up the stairs to her apartment. She left him in the kitchen while she made her way to the bedroom. She grabbed fresh underthings, a pair of black yoga pants and a pink sweatshirt from her dresser drawer before heading for the bathroom.
He had a kettle of water boiling on the stove when she joined him in the kitchen about thirty minutes later. He’d also set her small dining room table, lit a couple of candles and dimmed the lights. Jazz music drifted from the stereo.
She felt something tug deep and hard inside of her. “Is the worst over?” she asked, pretending the nervous edge in her voice had to do with the thought of watching him clean the live crabs before throwing them in the kettle.
He smiled. “The worst is over. They should be ready in ten minutes.”
She retrieved salad fixings from the fridge.
“I like that sweatshirt,” he said. “It almost matches your toes.”
“Thanks. Pink is my favorite color.”
“You are such a girl.” His voice was soft, teasing.
She felt color rising in her face; she kept her back to him as she sliced some tomatoes.
“Do you have crackers?” he asked.
“In the pantry. Bottom shelf.”
His body brushed against hers as he slid behind her to open the pantry door. From the corner of her eye, she watched him as he opened a box of Ritz crackers and spread them out on a plate.
When the salad was done, she melted butter in a saucepan. “There’s a bottle of wine in the cabinet above the fridge,” she said.
“Red?”
“Pinot Noir.”
“Perfect.”
He uncorked the wine with expert movements. She caught herself observing his long, calloused fingers, the dark hairs on his sinewy arms.
Stop.
He brought the bottle and two glasses to the table. “I’ll let that breathe for a few minutes.”
His arm grazed against hers as he came back to the stove and lifted the lid on the pot. “Mmm. These are just about done. Nothing like fresh blue crab meat that you’ve caught yourself.”
He propped one hip against the counter, watching her as she stirred the butter. “Watching you right now makes me think of all the times you made dinner for us. Did you like that? Do you like to cook?”
She lifted one shoulder. “I can’t say that I love cooking. Usually, I’m so tired at the end of a workday. I’d rather have someone else doing the cooking for me. But I didn’t mind cooking for all of you. It was a satisfying feeling, watching you enjoy those meals.”
“They were pretty good. Especially your lasagna.”
She grinned. “I made that a lot, didn’t I. It was one of the easier recipes.”
“We ate sloppy joes a lot, too.”
She laughed, glancing up at him. “Another easy meal. See? I’m not exactly a gourmet chef.”
He laughed with her. He reached out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. His laughter faded as a soft light entered his eyes. “You’re going to be a great mom.”
She felt a kind of giddy, drowning feeling as she held his gaze. “I hope so,” she said.
“Do you want a big family?”
“I always did. I think that comes from being an only child. I wished I’d had brothers and sisters to play with.” Her mouth turned down at the corners. “I’d shared with Joe that I wanted to start a family right away.”
“And he was okay with that?”
“Joe pretty much agreed to anything I wanted. Whatever made me happy.”
Tony compressed his lips. He took a step away from her. “Seems to be a trend with the Rossetti brothers, doesn’t it,” he said with a wry tone.
He lifted the lid on the kettle. “These are done. Let’s eat.”
The remainder of the evening passed comfortably. The mysterious undercurrents that had edged into his conversation and behavior throughout the day disappeared. They talked of insignificant, everyday things as they ate their meal. They joked about all the work that went into cracking and picking the crab to get a small amount of meat. He complimented her on the salad. She toasted his crab boiling skills. The bottle of wine emptied. The candles burned down.
After dinner, he washed the dishes while she whipped up some cream to dollop on scoops of the fresh mixed berries she’d bought the day before.
They carried the bowls into the living room and sat on the couch. They ate in cozy, comfortable companionship as soft jazz music floated around them.
“That was good,” Tony said when he was finished. He put his bowl on the coffee table. He glanced at his cellphone. “It’s getting late. I should go.”
Something dimmed inside of her. “Do you have a busy day tomorrow?”
He hesitated. “I’m helping Joe set up his spray booth. He’s been converting Willa’s garage into a cabinet shop. He’s moving out of the warehouse.”
“Oh? I didn’t know that.”
“Yeah. It frees up some warehouse space we need. And…” He shrugged.
“He wants to be close to her.”
She surprised herself at how easily the words came, without a hint of jealousy or bitterness. She really was moving on.
She stood up with Tony and followed him to the front door. He reached for the handle and paused. He turned to her. “This was a good day.”
Their eyes tangled. His gaze contained some mysterious light that she couldn’t fathom.
She swallowed. “Yes, it was.”
The air between them seemed to shift, to thicken with the intimacy that had hovered between them all day. He took a step towards her. He brought his palm to her cheek and kept it there as he bent closer.
Her heartbeat pounded in her ears. Her lips parted in a silent gasp. She stood still, anticipation sizzling through her veins.
Tony brushed his mouth softly against her forehead, his lips pliant and warm. He inhaled deeply as if breathing in her scent. Then he stepped back and reached once more for the door handle. His eyes were luminous, penetrating, as he gave her one last look. “Yes,” he said. “A very good day.”
Chapter Six
God, he wanted her.
He wanted to hold her closer than he ever had before, breathe in her sweetly intoxicating scent, bury his face in her long, silky hair, taste her luscious pink mouth and tongue, sink himself inside of her clinging, feminine warmth, feel her legs wrapped around his back as he thrust and thrust into her until he’d spent his desire deep inside her body and then did it again and again and again.
Had it merely been lust that he’d felt for her when he was a randy teenage boy? Now he wasn’t so sure. Because he didn’t just want her sexually; he simply wanted to be with her. To talk with her, to laugh with her, to make her smile in that sweet way that made her eyes sparkle like jewels.
Had he given his true feelings for her away today? Had he revealed too much? The rational side of his nature demanded that he take things slow, to ease her into the possibility of them as a couple. It was natural for her to be put off by the idea, normal for her to feel some awkwardness or embarrassment about moving from one brother to the next. He got that. And maybe it was too soon. Maybe she needed more time to get over Joe.
But he didn’t want to give her too much time. She was vulnerable right now, easy prey. He didn’t want another man moving in, taking what was his. But he didn’t want to be her rebound guy either.
There was such a fine line.
How beautiful she’d looked today. Her skin had glowed in the sun; her amber eyes had glistened. Her face had flushed a pretty pink color. Her laughter had sung through his blood and entwined around his heart. It was all he could do to not touch her constantly.
Even so, he’d touched her more today than he ever had in the past. It was a kind of taming—getting her accustomed to touches that were more than friendly. There had been moments when he’d felt her looking at him differently, a new kind of awareness in her eyes. A few times, she’d pulled away. She’d seemed uncertain, cautious. He’d been aching to kiss her at the door. But she’d seemed to stiffen, so he’d kissed her forehead instead.
Had he revealed too much when he told her how he’d lusted after her? When he spoke frankly about his physical reaction to her? No. He didn’t think so. Julia had told him once that she admired openness and honesty above all else in her relationships. He felt the same way.
When the time came for him to have her, to finally take her—and he would—he didn’t want any secrets between them. There would be nothing between them at all, only naked skin on naked skin.
Christ. He had to stop this. He had to think about something else besides Julia, otherwise he wouldn’t get any sleep tonight at all. He’d already jerked off in the shower. Now he was hard again. He hadn’t felt this out of control since he was a teenager. How long had it been since he’d had sex? There’d been that brief fling with Danielle back in April. Five months ago?
He’d never had any problem acquiring female company. But none of his relationships had lasted very long. None of those women had held his heart the way Julia did. If he got his way, there wasn’t going to be any other woman for him now but Julia. She was the only one who stirred his blood. Her. Only her.
His deep sigh carried resignation and anticipation. He reached under the bedcovers and touched himself. He wrapped his palm around his stiff cock and gave it a tug. His groan echoed in his lonely bedroom as her face filled his vision.
Julia. Julia.
He took a longer lunch hour on Monday so he could pay a visit to Audrey King’s eponymous shop on Thayer Street. She was helping a customer when he walked in the door, so he waited in the background, tamping down his impatience as he pretended interest in the jewelry on display.
Ten minutes later, Audrey was closing the door on the customer and turning towards him. She was wearing a long, wispy scarf-like dress that swirled around her legs as she approached. Brightly colored baubles dangled and jingled on her slender wrists. “Hello, Tony,” she said with evident delight. “What brings you here?”
“Julia says you stopped by her office on Friday?” He kept his voice calm. “You’re planning some kind of event?”
“That’s right! I’m so glad she told you. I may need your help with some things.”
He braced his hands on his hips. “What’s going on, Audrey?”
She arched one eyebrow. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Bull. You ladies are up to your plotting again. Just like you did with my brother.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Come on. You think I’m stupid? Collette badgering me to invite Joe and Julia to that May Breakfast? I didn’t like being your unknowing accomplice.”
Audrey pursed her lips. “Oh. That.”
“Right. That.” He didn’t raise his voice towards her, but his words were clipped and cool. “And now you girls are manipulating things with me and Julia. I don’t need your interference. I’m doing just fine on my own in that department.”
Audrey’s smile was all-knowing. “Ah. So you do love her.”
He felt something lighten in his heart as he said, “Yes. I do.” He sighed, feeling some of his annoyance dissipate. “How long have you all known?”
“Since the breakfast. It was pretty obvious. To us, anyway.”
He relaxed his stance a little. He folded his arms and leaned against the jewelry display counter. “What are you women? Witches?”
She laughed. “That’s hilarious. I can’t wait to share that with the girls. No. Just think of us as your wise old aunts who’ve had more experience in matters of the heart.”
“Old? You’re what…thirty-nine?”
She laughed again, her cheeks blossoming with color. “It’s impossible for you to not flirt, isn’t it. I’ve noticed you treat every woman that way, regardless of her age or looks.”
He shrugged. “All women deserve to be flattered for the amazing creatures that they are.”
“Oh, you charmer. Julia is a lucky, lucky girl.”
His forehead knotted. “You know, I hadn’t fully acknowledged my feelings to myself back then. She was still engaged to Joe.”
“Funny how it’s all working out then isn’t it.”
He frowned. “It wasn’t so funny for Julia.”
“She appears to be on the mend. I think she’s over the grieving stage. She’s ready to move on. She even said she’s fine with me inviting Willa and Joe to the party.”
“She is?”
“Yes. And she seemed very pleased when I told her of how highly you speak of her work.”
“She did?”
Audrey set her hand on his arm. She loo
ked contrite. “Yes. And I’m sorry. We have been plotting. But I was feeling her out more than anything. I wanted to get an idea of what she thought about you. Maybe give her a subtle push in the right direction. Open her eyes a little.”
Tony sighed. Great. Now he felt like a boy at a school dance, wondering about the girl who was giving him the eye across the dance floor, wondering if she was really looking at him. Did she think he was cute? He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m worried I might be moving too fast,” he confessed reluctantly. “We spent the day together on Saturday. At the end of the day, I got the feeling that she still thinks of me as a friend.”
Audrey gave him a measuring look. “Well, then. Use this next month working on my party together to change her mind. The last thing you want is to get so firmly entrenched in the friends category that she won’t ever think of you as anything else.”
His mouth twisted wryly. “Right.”
“Just don’t let her get too comfortable around you,” Audrey pressed. “A mama bird will feed and care for her young, but then she pushes them out of the nest. Julia needs that push.”
Tony stood up straight. He wagged a finger at Audrey in warning. “Okay. But you all stay out of it now. Tell the girls. I appreciate that you care enough about me and Julia to help. But I want things to happen naturally. Not because of your conniving.”
The older woman nodded. She held up three fingers. “I promise. Scout’s honor.”
His mouth twitched at her sincere expression. “You were a girl scout?”